Jordi Cruyff reveals where it went wrong for him at Manchester United

Published on: 23 September 2022

Jordi Cruyff has explained where it went wrong for him at Manchester United during his four year spell.

Son of legendary Dutch maestro Johan, Cruyff arrived at Old Trafford in 1996 having risen through the ranks at Barcelona. At Camp Nou, Cruyff was only able to win the Spanish equivalent of the Community Shield and in the mid 90s the decision was made for him to move on.

The transfer to United saw him win the Premier League three times and the FA Cup under the management of Sir Alex Ferguson. He only made 58 appearances for the Reds before leaving to join Deportivo Alaves in La Liga in 2000.

Discussing where it went wrong in Manchester, the 48-year-old believes that injuries hampered his stay. "I was injured too often in my career and that cost me at Manchester United, where I was only a squad player," he told FourFourTwo.

"I wasn’t there whenever I was needed. I did well in pre-season, then I got injured.

"I can look at the poster from the great United team I played in – the treble winners – and see that I was a squad player, but at that time I thought I was the best in the world and should play more. All players think they’re the best in the world.

"They only see their truth – not the truth. I understand why Sir Alex Ferguson was okay for me to leave."

Cruyff was part of the famous United squad that won the treble. However, having been sent out on loan to Celta Vigo in January 1999, he was not part of the matchday squad that won the Champions League in Barcelona.

When asked what it meant to him to United win Europe's top prize in a stadium that meant so much to him, Cruyff did not show any resentment. "I knew it would be United’s year," he added.

"But I had to go in January to get more minutes and Celta wanted me for four months. I didn’t even have time to say goodbye. I wrote a letter and pinned it up inside the dressing room."

Source: m.allfootballapp.com

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.
Learn more